Monsters from the ocean
by The Dancing Dead
Summary: Emily Sanders never thought her life would turn out the way it did. After suffering a tragic loss in a Kaiju attack she signed up for the Jaeger Program. When she's assigned to a Jaeger she never thought she'd ever have feelings for a certain Australian Pilot. (Will contain spoilers and is pre movie and during.)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except original characters (Emily Sanders).

This is my first attempt so I apologise if it's not very good.

* * *

_Emily_

I was 10 when they first hit. I wasn't there but the news of the 'earthquake' that hit in San Francisco was everywhere. It wasn't really an earthquake though; it was the beginning of an event that would change the world as we knew it.

Creatures known as the 'Kaiju' came through a breach in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean and began to wreak havoc on the countries on the Pacific Rim. I don't really remember too much about the early years of the Kaiju war but after the Kaiju known as 'Trespasser' attacked we all thought it was over. It wasn't for another 6 months that any others came so no defences were built.

The world was shaken but we moved on believing it was over, no-one could explain what had happened but after 2 months the world decided it was a one off event. The next Kaiju, Hundun, attacked Manila and then Kaiceph took Cabo San Lucas. After those attacks more and more Kaijus appeared until they were all over the Pacific Coast.

It was Dr Jasper Schoenfeld who came up with the idea of Jaegers and he travelled the world in the beginning looking for others to help him. When he came to England he found my father and enlisted his help in creating them. He insisted my father travel to America with him but he wouldn't leave us so we all went to America where he became a front runner in the United Nations Jaeger Program.

As for me, my life was completely changed in 2016 when my parents were killed by the Kaiju. We had gone for a day out so my father could take a break from his work. While we were out another Kaiju attacked; we tried to flee the city but the Kaiju caught up to us. When I saw it I froze, I had seen the attacks on TV but I had never seen one that close before. My parents pushed me onwards and after a few minutes I realised they had fallen behind. I turned just in time to see them killed by the Kaiju. I'm not sure how I managed to get out of there, I just remember taking all my pain and anger and pushing myself to go on. As soon as the Kaiju was taken down the grief hit me. My parents were both dead. It was that day I decided I had to join the Jaeger Program and avenge their deaths.

I had gone to live with my Uncle after they died, Commander Mark Sanders. He was rarely there for me as he was always busy with work in the Pan Pacific Defence Corps but he was all I had. He seemed pretty indifferent when I told him about my plans to join the Program. I don't think he thought I was good enough.

Three years after my parents deaths I had found out the Australians had obtained the designs of my father's last project. They were building the newest Mark 4 Jaeger, Midnight Tempest. I had passed all the tests and had been accepted as a new Ranger for the Jaeger Program and was assigned to my father's work. It was all I had left of him so I requested to be assigned to it. To my delight I was granted my request. I was going to make my parents proud.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except original characters

* * *

_Emily  
_

Looking at my Jaeger in the hanger bay I was amazed at how magnificent it looked. It stood 250ft above the ground; it looked like it could deal some serious damage. The sleek black metal covered the machine; the name Midnight suited it well. Seeing the Jaeger reminded me of what I had lost those few years ago.

My first day was spent in the Kwoon trying to find a co-pilot for Midnight Tempest. There were plenty of candidates but most of them I took down four to zero. I was getting tired of it, almost ready to leave, when the last candidate stepped up.

He was fairly tall, brown eyes and dark hair to match. He gave me a smile as he readied his hanbō. He took the first move and I could see right from the beginning he had much more potential than the other candidates I had wasted my time with. Even though I ultimately beat him, it was four to three and I knew he was my co-pilot.

"Davis, Sanders, report to the Shatterdome for a trial run." The Commander of the base spoke before leaving the room.

"I'm James." The man said, his strong Australian accent coming through, as I turned to him.

"Hi, I'm Emily." I replied shaking his hand.

"Looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of each other." He smiled before heading out the way he came in.

After a few trial runs with our Jaeger, James and I were called to the Shatterdome by Commander Davidson. When we got there he was waiting with two other men, one about my age and another in his older man was fairly well built, had rusty brown hair and had deep blue eyes. His son shared his muscular appearance although he was perhaps slightly more defined than his father. His eyes were also a deep blue and his hair also the same rugged colour.

"Herc, Chuck, these are the pilots for the new Jaeger Midnight Tempest, you will be working with them." The Commander spoke as we approached the men. "This is Hercules and Charles Hansen; this is James Davis and Emily Sanders."

"Pleased to meet you." Herc greeted us with a strong Australian accent; he seemed like a friendly man. I shook his hand before turning to Chuck.

"Nice to meet you too." I said putting my hand out in a friendly gesture to Chuck who looked at me almost saying 'piss off'.

"Charles." Herc spoke sternly to his son and he shook my hand, admittedly only half-heartedly, making sure to send me a glare in the process. What was his problem?

"We don't need any crap piloting these Jaegers. We need real pilots." I heard him whisper under his breath but loud enough to make sure I heard as he walked away but I went after him while the others got to know each other.

"Excuse me?" I demanded as I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Get off me! You heard what I said." His glare intensified. "Don't want your Jaeger to crap out while we're out there; can't trust it to have our backs. Heard the original designs were flawed anyway."

"Don't you dare say that! My father designed those." His words stung as the memory of my father came back to me.

"Where is he so I can tell him how shit they were." He replied completely unaware.

"He's dead!" I said blankly. He looked slightly apologetic before he regained control of himself and brushed it off with a snide comment.

"Too bad, I'll just have to tell you how crap the designs were when it fails." He gave a mocking wink before he walked off again. Bastard.

* * *

_Chuck_

I had been raised in the life of a Ranger ever since my mother died in the Kaiju attacks, my father and I were assigned to Striker Eureka when I heard they were building a new Jaeger from some British designs. Then Commander Davidson brought in the two new Pilots to work with us.

Neither of them looked like real Pilots to me and everyone knew the Jaegers were only as good as the people piloting them. The man looked too weak to pilot and the woman, she may have been pretty but that didn't make good Pilots. Why couldn't Davidson just leave us to fight alone? We were good enough and we certainly didn't need mediocre Pilots slowing us down.

My father greeted them which they responded, their accents indicating the man was Australian and the girl was British. There weren't too many British Pilots in the Jaeger Program which made me doubt her abilities as well. When she put her hand out to me I ignored it, there was no need to get friendly with these people, they were here to do their job that's it. My father on the other hand viewed the situation differently.

"Charles!" He spoke sternly using my full name which I hated and he knew it. I reluctantly shook her hand making sure to send a glare along with it. "We don't need any crap piloting these Jaegers. We need real pilots." I muttered under my breath hoping she would hear me. I turned and walked away before I felt her hand grab my arm. She heard me.

"Get off me! You heard what I said. Don't want your Jaeger to crap out while we're out there; can't trust it to have our backs. Heard the original designs were flawed anyway." I shot at her.

"Don't you dare say that! My father designed those." Great she was one of those 'I'm doing it for daddy' Pilots.

"Where is he so I can tell him how shit they were."

"He's dead!" She said blankly. I hadn't thought that would be her answer; admittedly I shouldn't have been quite so shitty towards her but I couldn't let her see me waver on my attitude, she would think she had the better of me, so I recomposed myself.

"Too bad, I'll just have to tell you how crap the designs were when it fails." I walked off then leaving her with a stunned look on her face. She would have to learn it's a tough world, sink or swim.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for original characters

* * *

_Chuck_

It was 5 AM when I woke, after tossing and turning for about an hour I decided to head to the training room on base to clear my head. The halls were deserted as most people were still asleep; I figured the training room would be empty as well but Emily was there when I reached it. Every time we passed, Emily and I would either ignore each other or exchange glaring looks which I wasn't bothered by but seeing her here made me start to re-evaluate my opinions of her, maybe she wouldn't be as mediocre as I expected.

To my surprise she moved with a fluid motion, tactfully striking an invisible companion. I wasn't sure what I expected from her but it wasn't that. She was too focussed to see me standing there watching her every move. After a few minutes I spoke up, letting her know of my presence.

"So you've skills now then?" I said as I walked into the room. She turned to where I stood and rolled her eyes as she saw me.

"What do you want Chuck?" She asked a little exhausted.

"To see how you fight. If we're fighting Kaijus together I need to know who I'm fighting with. From my experience you Brits lack the required refinements needed to pilot such fine machines."

"Really, haven't met anyone matching your fine skills then?" She said full of sarcasm.

"No actually I haven't, you see I have a record simulation score. Nobody has even come close." I said as I approached, boasting a little but I had good reason to.

"You did, until I improved on it yesterday. Gotta keep up Chuck." She said as she approached me with a second hanbō ready to fight. "I think your ego is too big, needs to be taken down a little." She clicked her neck and swung the hanbō around a few times before staring me in the eyes.

"Best put my ego to the test then." I said with a daring smile.

"That doesn't really make sense but I'm always happy to fight you, and besides, kicking your ass will be a good start to my day." And then she swung her hanbō at me, I managed to block it but a second strike hit me in the side. After a few blows from her I came back with force, knocking her down. She tripped me with her foot, pinning me to the floor with one end of the hanbō resting on my stomach.

"So what's your problem with me?"

"From my experience the Brits don't make good Jaeger Pilots, especially female ones."

"So you decided that because I'm British and I'm a female that I'm a shit pilot. You need to get your head out of your ass." Then we continued as I slid out from under her and got her from behind. After a few more moves from us both she took me down again, both of us breathless.

"Okay, you win." I dropped the hanbō and held my hands up in surrender.

"So do you still think I'm a shit Pilot?"

"I won't know until we're deployed."

"But?"

"But you've proved yourself a little." She did have my respect but I wasn't going to tell her easily.

"Good." She eased off, dropping the hanbō and I took that opportunity to flip our positions so that I had her pinned. She looked really pissed to start with and then we both sort of froze as something unexpected happened. I looked at her and our eyes connected in some way that held us in that moment. Something then came over me and I leant down and kissed her passionately to which she responded. I wrapped my arms around her and her arms wrapped around my neck as she ran her hands through my hair but then it ended as quickly as it had started as she pushed me away and ran out the room. My mind fuzzed as I sat on the floor, struggling to piece together what exactly had happened.

* * *

_Emily_

Shit! What the fuck had just happened? One minute Chuck and I hated each other and then… I'm not sure exactly what happened. He didn't like me and I shared his feelings. I'm not sure why he hated me but I wasn't going to waste my breath on him. There was no room for hatred to be a good Pilot; you needed a clear mind in the drift, so I took all my anger out in the training room.

Chuck thought he was so much better than me but he had no idea what my life had been like. Yes his mother had died in the Kaiju attacks but both my parents had been killed and since then I had worked my way to where I am now. I wasn't saying Chuck hadn't earned his place but I had sure as hell earned mine and I wasn't going to let him knock me down.

Just before Chuck kissed me I found myself looking deep into his eyes. I had never really seen him like that before, I mean I noticed his attractive appearance when we first met but I never really looked at him this way before. His deep blue eyes penetrated through to my thoughts, his rusty hair messed around but somehow still looked perfect, his face was soft no longer looking full of hatred.

Then he leant down and his lips crashed on mine, both moving as if they had been longing for so long to do this. My heart raced and I felt my pulse through my head as his arms wrapped around my body, pulling me to him. My arms involuntarily wrapped around his shape, hands entwining in his rugged hair. Then my thoughts snapped back to reality, back to the day my parents had been killed. I had promised myself I would be strong and not let myself be open to the pain again. Okay I was scared, scared of what might come of this. One moment we hated each other and now we were here. Come tomorrow he might have forgotten this even happened and I would look like pathetic girl dreaming over a mistake. Or worse, if this went somewhere and he were killed like so many others… No I couldn't think about that, I had to get out of there, so I pulled back and raced out of the room.

"You are such a girl." I said aloud to myself as I splashed my face with cold water in the bathroom, staring at my reflection in the mirror trying to piece together my thoughts. It was just a kiss, I told myself, nothing more. When I got out the bathroom Chuck was stood waiting for me.

"Sorry about that." He spoke quietly not sure what to say himself.

"Can we just, you know, be friends?" I asked and he looked up to me.

"Yeah, I'm tired of trying to out-evil-stare you." I laughed at that. We walked to the main hall together where breakfast was awaiting us, having our first proper conversation since I had been there. I kept trying to convince myself it had meant nothing but it's really hard to lie to yourself.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except original characters.

Haven't posted anything in a while as have had a writer's block, been really busy with Uni and my nan recently died. Am slowly getting there; sorry if this chapter isn't any good.

* * *

_Emily_

After going separate ways from Chuck after leaving the main hall, my mind thought over the events from that morning. How could I have let that happen? Why was Chuck Hansen so in my head? Why did I want it to happen again? I was pulled from my thoughts as my body collided with something hard. Looking up I saw the familiar face of my co-pilot who looked at me oddly.

"Hey, you okay, you kinda look a little distracted there." James spoke and I shook my head, trying to gather my thoughts.

"Yeah, just too much on my mind I guess." I replied, trying not to give anything away.

"Okay, you ready then?" He asked and I gave him a questioning look.

"For?"

"The simulation? That's where I was heading; we've got a test run this morning. Don't tell me you forgot?"

"Shit, I'm so sorry, yeah of course." I was so distracted with Chuck I had forgotten all about our trial. "Come on, let's go, can't wait to get a real mission and start taking down those Kaiju bastards."

When we got to the Jaeger, the engineers and other staff were waiting for us. My hand trailed along the structure of the pod, feeling the smooth metal against my skin. Midnight Tempest, I loved it, there was just something about our Jaeger that made me feel at home. Commander Davidson was in the command centre ready for the test, I knew he was as anxious to get us out into the fight as we were. We got into our usual places, James on the right, me on the left.

"Hey guys, you ready?" Davidson spoke through the intercom.

"Sure are Sir, how are things looking out there?" I replied.

"Kaiju are coming up, smashing up shit, same as usual." He replied earning a chuckle from James.

"Can't wait to get out there and start smashing them up." James replied and I gave him a confirmatory nod.

"Midnight Tempest, you ready for the neural link?"

"Yes we are." James gave me a wink.

As we waited for the Neural Handshake to initiate a thought hit me. You couldn't hide anything in the Drift and I knew James was going to see it. All of it. Our memories melded together as we let them flow through us, careful not to hang on to any of it. Don't chase the rabbit, that was an important thing to remember. When the link was established I heard James chuckling beside me.

"So that's what got you all messed up this morning. Gotta say I didn't see that one coming." I knew my secret was out there. "You like him."

"Shut up James, it was nothing. And no, I bloody don't." I tried but he shook his head.

"You bloody well do, you're hiding it from yourself Em. I can see everything, feel everything you feel whether you know it or not and whether I want to or not. Jesus, Chuck Hansen definitely isn't my type but thanks to you I may have well have been the one kissing him. My point is that I know; you can deny it all you like but I know you like him. I'm in your head remember." If it were anyone else that said those things I would have been really pissed at them but it was James; it was hard for anyone to be mad at him, especially when you share a bond only co-pilots experience. We could be in the most awkward situation together and things wouldn't be awkward, I couldn't ask for a better co-pilot and I knew he felt the same about me.

"Shut up we've got a test to run." I replied trying to brush it off but a part of me laughed at myself, whispering in my head, _you know it's true._

* * *

_Chuck_

My father had dragged me to the simulation to work on our 'communication in battle' as he put it. I honestly couldn't give a rats ass; we worked absolutely fine in battle, we were drift compatible and that was good enough for me but the commander had ordered me to practice with him. I agreed but I made my feelings to my father perfectly clear.

As we rounded the corner, James and Emily passed us, laughing and joking about how they took down their Kaiju in the simulation. I felt a slight pull on my heart as I watched her pass, interacting with her co-pilot. She didn't even take one look at me as she walked by, whether she had seen me or not I wasn't sure. It didn't stop my heart from dropping slightly. I hadn't realised I had stopped and was staring after her but my father had.

"She's a great girl, don't you think? Good piloting scores too." My father spoke causing me to turn and glare at him.

"What do I care? What does it matter huh?" I spat back but he shook his head.

"So the longing gaze was nothing? You should go talk to her after we've finished."

"Shut up, what do you know old man?" His face turned a little bitter, anger evident.

"Don't call me that, and I know a lot thank you very much. That look plastered on your face minutes ago wasn't just any look, I had that look once. Now get your ass in there, we've got our test run booked." He turned and walked into the room, leaving me standing there confused. There was no way I could be falling for her? Right?


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except original characters.

Thanks for the reviews, sorry I haven't posted for a while I've had so much work to do. I hope this chapter is okay. Enjoy!

* * *

_Chuck_

After what seemed like an unending repeat of the same simulation we had been running for the past few hours, my father finally decided to call it quits. His words played relentlessly on my mind. Perhaps I should go talk to her. I laughed at myself in reply, don't be stupid Chuck. I tried to focus on anything but her long black hair, her perfect face, beautiful eyes but nothing could get the image from my head.

She wanted to be friends but I wanted more, even if I hated admitting it. It wasn't just that, there wasn't any time for shit like that, there was a war to fight, one that wasn't ending any time soon. As long as it didn't affect my performance. I would just have to distract myself with the vodka I had 'acquired' from Commander Davidson and the blonde technician that seemed to be unable to take her eyes off me.

It was only a few days later that we got our first chance to participate in the fight. A Kaiju had emerged in our waters, bringing the fight to Australia, directly to us. The alarms sounded and we were all up in an instant, waiting to hear the commands.

"Midnight Tempest, Striker Eureka, report to Level 1. Kaiju. Code name: Tigon. Category 3. It weighs 8,000 tons…" We were ready, all of us, it was just a matter of remembering everything we had been training for these past months. Piece of cake.

We got into our respective positions, no words were spoken between us but my father gave me a knowing look once we had connected in the drift. Part of me was excited, finally getting to experience the thrill of the fight but there was a small voice in the back of my head that had a twinge of doubt. First time nerves, once the creature was dead I was sure that part would be no more.

There was just a few checks that needed to be done before we were off, flying above the city, being dropped into the vast waters that stretched the Australian coast. I loved my country and I was proud to be defending it. And besides I was itching to get my hands dirty. This is what I had been training for. Emily and James stood beside us in their machine, both Jaegers ready for the action. This would test us all, see if we had what it took to stand against the Kaiju.

"Midnight Tempest, you ready for this?" My father spoke over the coms.

"You bet, been waiting for this too long." Emily replied eagerly and I couldn't stop the small smile that crept onto my face.

"Keep alert, the reports show it's a few miles out. We need you all to come back alive. This is your first drop together, do Australia proud." Davidson's voice rang out.

"Copy that." James' voice replied followed by my father's. We could all feel the anticipation building as we waited for the Kaiju to make its appearance.

It seemed like we were stood there for hours before we caught a glimpse of it emerging from the depths. It stood on two of its four legs, releasing a roar of magnitude I've never heard before as it announced its challenge to us. It's skin was a mix of purple and brown and its long, black, sharp claws were evident against the bright sky.

"Midnight, I see it on your left, Chuck and I are going to flank it on the right, you got the other side?" My father spoke.

"Copy that Striker; we'll take care of it." Emily replied as Midnight Tempest began to head towards the monstrosity.

We moved to the other side while Midnight Tempest started the attack. I had to admit they were taking good care of the creature, landing several well-placed blows before we reached our destination. Once we were there we joined in the fight, unwilling to take a backseat any longer. Even with our combined strength the Kaiju didn't want to go down. It wasn't until Emily and James blasted it with their cannons that it was finally stopped.

* * *

_Emily_

"Midnight, I see it on your left, Chuck and I are going to flank it on the right, you got the other side?" Herc's voice rang out over the intercom.

"Copy that Striker; we'll take care of it." I replied as James and I headed to where the creature was making its ascent on us.

The monstrous creature struck at us, its tail knocking us out the way. We stood up and punched it, James and I connecting as we lifted our hands to strike the Kaiju Tigon. It screeched before it recoiled, sending a sharp blow to my side. It knocked me back slightly but I managed to keep calm and controlled, one mistake could cost us everything.

"We need the rockets!" I shouted to James and we activated our cannons, focussing all our efforts and power, striving to land a blow that would do some serious damage. It hit it but it didn't kill it. Shit it was pissed now.

"Emily! Let's give him the 'morning after headache,'" James shouted back and I nodded, a smile formed on my face. That was one of our moves, a series of punches from both sides followed by a blow from above. It wouldn't kill it but it would certainly knock it down a bit. Im not sure when we started naming our moves but it was our thing. Not everyone understood but we didn't care.

Striker Eureka arrived and joined in the fight. The Kaiju was one tough son of a bitch; somehow it withstood two Jaegers giving it everything we had. While it turned its attention to Striker an idea came into my head.

"You know what I'm thinking?" I asked, thinking about sending it back to the pit it came from with our plasma cannon. I didn't really need to ask.

"I'm in your head, I can't help it." He smiled as we activated the cannons. We blasted the creature until its signature was wiped out, shouting in triumph as we revelled in our success. I felt the adrenaline pumping through me, we did it, we brought it down while only sustaining minimal damage. It was a feat worth celebrating.

Not long after we had returned from the mission, I heard a knock at my door. To my surprise, Chuck stood at the door with a few bottles of clear liquid, Vodka from the look of them.

"I think today's win earns a celebration." He spoke, leaning against the doorframe. A small smile came to my face as I nodded, motioning for him to enter.

He walked in, eyes scanning the room looking at the pictures of me with my parents on the wall. Pictures from a time long gone when the world wasn't facing monsters from the Pacific. A sad look flashed on his face for an instant but it was gone as quickly as it came.

"That was the last summer we spent together before the first one emerged." I spoke quietly; my heart pulled at the memory that came to mind. "Anyway, what have you got there?" I asked, quickly changing the subject before my emotions got the better of me.

"Just a little something." He smiled, showing me the label. It was definitely vodka.

"Where did you find that?" I asked, I hadn't seen anyone drinking around the base but then that didn't mean much.

"That's for me to know and Commander Davidson to find out. He thinks we don't know where his stash is. Trust me he has hundreds of these bottles, he won't miss them." He sat down on my bed and waited for me to join him.

"You're such a bad influence on me Charles Hansen." I mocked him a little and couldn't help but smile at the look of disgust that appeared on his face.

"Seriously, nobody calls me Charles, I hate it." He scowled a little before relaxing, opening one of the bottles and taking a swig. I took the other out of his hand and joined him.

The night passed in a fluid motion, alcohol was consumed in great quantities and time seemed to slow down. I woke up the next morning looking around the room as I hazily tried to remember the previous night. My head felt like a thousand drums were beating all at once; I knew I had drank way too much last night. Then I heard the steady beats of a heartbeat and the deep inhale and exhale of breath next to me. I felt a warm body next to me and realisation hit. I had been so stupid.

"Shit! What the fuck did I do last night?" I breathed out to myself trying desperately to remember what had happened. How could I have just slept with someone, I couldn't even remember doing it. I looked down just to confirm what I thought; there were clothes strewn across the room and the man lying beside me was indeed naked as was I. I scanned my eyes over the perfectly defined physique. He was well built with great muscular definition. My eyes travelled up to his face, he was very handsome as he slept there peacefully and it took me a few seconds for my eyes to realise what they were seeing. Chuck fucking Hansen was next to me! "Shit!" I breathed out as I struggled to remember what happened.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except original characters.

I know I haven't posted anything for a while, have had a lot of Uni work and now have exams coming so have tried to balance everything. Anyway hope this chapter is okay.

**Warning:** This chapter does contain smut so may want to skip if you don't want to read it. Will put a warning before so you know when its coming.

This is the first time writing any sort of detail of the sorts so I apologise if I suck at it.

* * *

_Emily_

This wasn't something I had planned, this wasn't something I ever thought would happen yet here I was with Chuck Hansen lying next to me. This wasn't something I wanted yet there was a twisting feeling growing in my stomach as I watched him. Slowly the memories started to become clear, the veil of blurriness slowly lifting to reveal the details.

"_Stun Core 08, Sluggernaut, 4 kills." I said, describing Cherno Alpha._

"_It's a Jaeger, um, Crimson Typhoon?" We were both pretty drunk by then but I still knew Chuck was wrong._

"_No, stupid, Cherno Alpha. Take a drink." Chuck took his shot._

"_Okay, San Diego, Gipsy Danger, big ass motherfucker." It was Chuck's turn._

"_That's either Clawhook or MN-19. I'm gonna go with the second." By this point I didn't really care whether I got it right or wrong, my mind was fuzzed._

"_It's Clawhook!" He replied a little too excitedly._

"_To be fair 'big ass motherfucker' pretty much describes all Kaiju."_

"_Rules of the game Emily." He laughed back at me._

"_Okay." I took my shot, the alcohol no longer burning my throat._

"_I think we should change things up a little." Chuck spoke slurring a little as he moved closer to me._

"_What did you have in mind?" I asked, teasing a little before his lips came crashing down on mine. I responded and my arms wrapped around his neck, fingers twisting in his hair._

As the memories slowly made sense I couldn't help but steal another glance at his perfect physique. I knew falling for Chuck wasn't something I wanted to do or was even good for me but despite myself my body had a will of its own as my hand brushed against his face lightly, feeling every detail and memorising it. As I felt his warm skin against my hands the memories of last night flowed, a mixture of delight and embarrassment filled me.

(**WARNING**)

_He pulled me closer to him as we passed through the doorway to my room, his lips fiercely pressed against mine. He slipped his tongue past my lips as he shut the door, pressing me up against it. His hands moved down to my waist, fingers slowly sliding upwards, skimming my sides. I felt his grip tighten as our kiss intensified._

_He pulled back a little, removing his shirt before crashing his lips back onto mine in a passion equalling my own. My hands travelled down to his waist, moving to undo the buckle of his belt. Within seconds he had pushed his jeans down, arms moving around me once again to pull me close. I could feel the heat building between us as our movements became more intense with each passing second._

_I felt my heart begin to pound as his hands slid up my shirt quickly disposing of my bra. His hands began feeling under my shirt while his lips assaulted mine, tongue sliding into my mouth as it claimed the space. I couldn't contain the gasp that escaped as his fingers worked their magic. As I felt his hand sliding down my stomach towards my waist, my breathing became harder. He bit my lower lip gently before moving to my neck sure to leave marks, sucking and licking as his hand slid into my pants, rubbing against the core with teasing motion. With one finger at first he slid into me, the familiar smirk plastered all over his face._

_I traced a hand down his stubbly jaw, keeping our eyes locked, while the other moved to his chest, running my fingers over his defined ridges; I loved how he felt against me. I saw the burning desire in his eyes, the same look I'm sure I was wearing._

_Pulling him towards the bed, our kiss continued as the desire built in us both. As drunk as we both were we still felt the heat between us, how our bodies responded to the other. I pushed him down onto the bed, straddling him before leaning down to kiss him. After a brief moment I pulled back and before he had chance to say anything I lowered myself on to him. His jaw clenched as I started a slow but steady motion. His arms moved from my sides down to my hips, gripping me tighter as the pace slowly started to increase._

_I couldn't help but smile as I started to take him to the edge. "Emily." He stuttered through gritted teeth, I loved the feel of control, knowing that I was doing this to him. He inhaled through his nose and out his mouth trying to keep control as his thrusts matched my own._

_Sitting up, he pulled me into a kiss and I knew it wouldn't be long now. I could feel the desire overtaking me as he moved in and out. Before I had a chance to realise, he had flipped positions in one swift and fluid motion._

_My legs tightened around him as he began to move again, I looked at him, his eyes burning with passion before his lips captured mine again with an intense kiss, tongues dancing. My hands moved up and down his back as his lips trailed down my neck, placing kisses as they moved. My hips moved as if they were independent of my control, nails gently scraping down his back causing my name to fall from his lips. _

_When I couldn't hold on any longer I felt the pleasure overwhelming me as my release came. I felt him chuckle against my skin as my body trembled. It wasn't long before his came, thrusts coming like lightning before I felt his release._

"_Fuck." I whispered as I struggled to regain my breath after the explosion that had just occurred. He placed a hand on my cheek, brushing my skin before leaning in for another kiss. It was soft and gentle before he collapsed beside me and we both fell into slumber. _

I was pulled back to the present as I felt warm fingers gently caressing my side, causing jolts of electricity to spark through every part of me. I could tell he was still half asleep, hands moving in a semi-conscious state but I froze nonetheless, heart rate becoming alarmingly fast for my liking.

The familiar flutter of longing twisted in my stomach as the overwhelming desire to lean across and kiss him took hold. Before I could, I managed to restrain myself as a thought entered my mind; this was a drunken mistake, nothing else. Once he wakes up he will realise what happened and then he'll leave. Even if part of me wanted this to be something he would never want that. Even though it was my room I had to leave, I couldn't face him, not now at least. To be fair I wasn't sure if I could ever face him after last night.

* * *

_Chuck_

My head pounded unrelenting as I stirred from unconsciousness, the light blinded me as I switched the lamp on beside me. My mind buzzed as I tried to recall how I had gotten back to my room, the last thing I remembered was going to Emily's room. How much had I drank last night? Then it hit me, this wasn't my room.

The side of the bed next to me felt warm and my eyes travelled around the room noting my clothes strew all across the floor. The pictures on the wall told me exactly where I was; the memories of last night flooding back to me putting a smile on my face until I realised her absence. The scent of her lingered on the sheets and I found myself smelling it, taking her scent in as I felt a pang in my stomach. A pang of longing, wishing she were here. What did her leaving mean? Did she regret it? Was it just a drunken mistake to her? Why was I feeling like this? I cared; this had never happened before and I hated myself for allowing this feeling to overcome me. It was weak; I wasn't weak.

I relaxed onto my back as the memories came to me. The feel of her skin, the smell of her hair, the taste of her all came at once. Even being drunk, I remembered everything and it brought a smile to my face. But had she regretted it? The question echoed through my mind followed by a reply,_ probably_. Fuck I was falling for her. When I went to her room, there may have been a part of me that wanted something to happen but I never expected this.

"_Seriously, nobody calls me Charles, I hate it."_

"_Come on, I've got an idea for a drinking game we could play." Emily spoke after a few seconds, a wicked grin plastered on her face._

"_What's that?"_

"_One person has to describe three things about a particular Kaiju or Jaeger and the other person guesses it. If the person guesses gets it wrong, they take a shot, if they get it correct, the person describing takes a shot. You get it?"_

"_Yeah. I'll go first." I volunteered. After two bottles in the rest of the night became pretty blurred._

I sat myself up, running a hand through my hair. How did I let her get to me so much? All trace of a smile left my face as I realised this would be a one-time thing and that she would probably never want to speak of it again or maybe even to me again. If she even remembered it? We drank and awful lot last night; I guess I had to face her.

That was my plan, facing her, until I noticed she put as much space between us as possible. Not only did she regret it but she couldn't face me at all now. Shit, at least before this happened we were speaking to each other; even when we hated each other we were still speaking. Now it seemed I didn't even exist.

I decided enough was enough; I knew she'd be in the training room so I waited for her to arrive. She sighed as she saw me and went to leave but I reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her. We were going to talk about it.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing but original characters.

Am back with a new chapter, hope its good enough. Thanks for everyone who's been reading this, hope youre enjoying it.

* * *

_Emily_

I found myself in the training room at four in the morning, unable to rest any longer. The events that occurred a few days ago weighed heavily on my mind. It had been the best night of my life yet it was eating at me like nothing ever had before. I had avoided Chuck ever since, unwilling and unable to face him, to talk to him for fear of what his reaction may be. I could tell he wanted to talk about it, for a while he kept trying to get us alone but eventually he seemed to give up. I hated this, I had grown close to him and now was missing him but I knew it was easier for us both this way. So here I was, in one of the only rooms I found comfort in, the only way to release the tension that had built up within me.

My mind was so focussed that I almost missed the sound of footsteps creeping up behind me. The familiar smell of leather wafted in my direction, the soft sound of boots filled my ears as a warm hand rested on my shoulder.

"What are you doing here at this time?" James's voice followed and I felt myself relax instantly.

"I couldn't sleep." Was my reply as I turned to meet his concerned stare, his warm brown eyes meeting my cool blue ones.

"I guessed that much, now do you want to tell me what the fuck is going on with you and Chuck? One moment you guys are close, next you're back to ignoring each other." His stare intensified as he stood waiting for an answer.

"We weren't that close. It's nothing, just drop it…" I spoke and went to walk off but a hand on my arm stopped me in place.

"Bullshit Emily, I thought you trusted me." His words sent a pang of guilt rushing through me. I did trust him.

"I do, James, really I do it's just not something I want to talk about." I tried but he wouldn't let up. "Okay, we slept together." I spoke under my breath but it was loud enough for him to hear, the gasp made that evident.

"You what?! How? When? What happened?" His face was astonished but the cheeky grin followed.

"He came over after we took down Kaiju with some vodka and we drank a little too much." I felt my cheeks flush as I recounted the story.

"That's incredible." He spoke before his face turned in disgust. "Oh thanks a lot! Got that to look forward to next time we drift! Thanks for ruining my life!" He started chuckling not long after and I playfully gave him a push.

"Not funny!" I retorted but that just spurred on his laughter.

"So why are you here? And why aren't you with him?" His face became serious once again as he spoke. I sighed at that, wishing things were simpler.

"Because, this is Chuck we're talking about. He's not looking for anything and, well, I don't want to deal with it. Im just another notch on the bedpost James." I dropped my head to look at the floor, my eyes uncontrollably filling with moisture. I hated Chuck for what he was doing to me. I was strong, I was a fighter, a survivor. But right now I was weak.

James's arms wrapped around me, pulling me into his chest. "Hey, Emily, you need to talk to him. And if he hurts you I'll kick his ass." A small laugh escaped my lips at that as I pulled myself closer into him. James was my best friend and I could always count on him to cheer me up.

"Thank you." I whispered softly against him.

* * *

Later that day I saw Chuck in the dining hall sat with his father and the team that worked on Striker. He wasn't looking at me, instead he was feeding Max, ignoring all that was going on around him. I noticed his father stealing glances at his son, the look of sadness evident in his eyes. I knew things were strained between the two but I could tell Herc wanted things to be different. I felt sorry for him; I would cherish every moment with my father if he was still alive yet Chuck sat there, almost oblivious to his father's presence.

I looked over at James who gave me a wink and nodded over to where Chuck was sat, motioning for me to go over there. He gave me a small squeeze on my shoulder before I stood and slowly walked over to Chuck. I saw his expression harden as he saw me, turning back to look at Max.

"Hey Emily, what brings you over here?" Herc was the one to speak.

"Hi Herc, just wondered if I could speak to your son?" I looked at Chuck who was looking anywhere but at me.

"Chuck." Herc cautioned slightly, sending a glare his way.

Begrudgingly, Chuck looked up at me, a stern look in his eyes, guarded and angry. "I don't want to talk to you." He grinded through his teeth before standing and walking away, calling for Max to follow him.

I felt tears well up in my eyes but I dug my nails into my hand to stop them from falling. I had to stay in control of my emotions if I was to look strong to the other pilots around me. I saw Herc mouthing 'go after him' to me and I nodded, turning to the direction Chuck had gone. His strides were long and determined but I managed to catch up with him.

"Chuck!" I called after him and, while he stopped, he still wasn't facing me.

"What do you want?" He spat out, his words cutting at me like a dagger.

"To talk." I replied and this time he span around, his glare almost choking.

"I tried to talk to you, that's all I've been doing but you were ignoring me. Now you want to talk." The venom in his voice was evident as was the pain behind the words and the hurt started to appear behind his guarded expression.

"I know. Im sorry." I spoke softly, trying to ease the tension that had built.

"You're sorry? You have some nerve." He strode towards me so there was only about half a metre between us.

"I wasn't sure how you'd feel about what happened." I whispered and I saw him momentarily soften.

"So you thought ignoring me was the best way of dealing with it?" His face was hard again in a flash.

"I know it was wrong. I just couldn't face you, especially when you thought it was a mistake." My head dropped but I felt a warm hand lift my chin. Chuck had moved even closer, warm blue pools were staring at me and I felt my pulse quicken as I felt his hot breath against my face.

"What made you think that?" He spoke softly now, the anger, the bitterness, the hatred gone from his voice and his face was smooth, the glare now replaced by a look of sadness.

"Because…" I had no answer; I was lost in his eyes, my self-control taken in an instant.

"So you don't regret it?" He almost whispered and all I could do was shake my head in response before I felt his lips capture mine in a soft kiss. "Neither did I." Those words had my heart racing again.

"The repairs have almost been completed and the modifications added to Midnight… Oh shit sorry, I didn't realise… Uh…" I turned around to see Jacob, one of the mechanics for Midnight Tempest, stopped dead in his tracks a look of sheer terror and confusion etched across his face as he shook. "Look, im really sorry… God I didn't realise…" His verbal diarrhoea unstoppable as he stumbled on words, his face now a painful crimson.

"Just relax Jacob." I silenced him. "Thanks for letting me know." He nodded but was still unmoving.

"You can go now." Chuck spoke up, motioning for the poor guy to leave. "Geez what's up with that guy?"

"Hey, don't be mean, thinks a little scared of you." I teased as a huge grin spread across his face.

"Good, I've got a reputation to uphold." His eyes flashed a little. "As long as you're not."

"Of you? God no. You're just a little puppy." I replied with a slight chuckle as he feigned a look of disappointment before he pulled me close, lips against mine again as his arms wrapped around me. "You know it's a little public here, wouldn't want any more mechanics stumbling upon us." I spoke against him.

He pulled back a little, arms still around me. "That's true." His eyes held mine for a few more seconds before he removed his arms and took a step back, holding out his arm to me. "Take a walk with me then?"

"Of course." I replied, taking his arm.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing but original characters.

Sorry its been so long since I updated, have been stuck with what to write, hope this one's okay :) Thanks for everyone who has been reading this. Hope you enjoy this chapter :D

* * *

_Emily_

I was awoken at the deafening sound of the alarm, the automated voice announcing an incoming Kaiju attack. It took me a second to fully wake and gather my thoughts as I strained to listen to the information.

"Midnight Tempest, Striker Eureka, report to Level 1. Kaiju. Code name: Slither. Category 3. It weighs 7,000 tons…" It would be the third call we'd been out on; so far we had taken out two Kaiju with almost no damage which was such a great feeling. We may be putting our lives on the line every time we went out there but the rush… there was no way of describing the feeling you got every time you drove your arm into the beasts. I couldn't imagine my life anywhere else.

Chuck and I walked together for a time, hands entwined. Neither of us were overly fond of the whole PDA thing but when it was just the two of us it didn't matter. Before we split our separate ways we shared a small but nice kiss, filled with everything we couldn't say.

"See you on the other side." I spoke and he echoed my words before heading off to his Jaeger where his father was waiting. James was already in place when I arrived, a coy look on his face as he pretended not to be teasing me. The day James stopped teasing me was the day he was no longer himself.

"You guys ready for the drop?" The commander's voice came through the intercom as I was settled into place.

"Sure am, been having Kaiju withdraws." I joked earning a big chuckle from my Drift partner.

"You are an eager one." He replied with a huge smile.

"You want this just as bad as I do." I came back quickly.

"Now now children, there'll be enough for you all." The commander replied but I could hear the laughter in his voice.

"Striker Eureka is ready to go." Herc's voice joined in.

"Glad to hear it. Best of luck out there." He spoke before I felt the Jaeger begin to move.

The Kaiju put up a fair fight, knocking us around a few times but we were the champions of this fight. Slither definitely earned its name; its streamline body slid through the water with ease and almost took down Striker unaware if it wasn't for James's warning. It was just as hideous as the others were and proved to be no match for the combined strength of our machines.

* * *

When we were safely back at the base, James and I shared a high five at our latest victory, the rush of the fight now replaced by the intense feeling of success. There truly wasn't much better than that. As we walked from the Jaeger bay, James began recounting all his favourite moves and how we could put them together in different ways. I couldn't help but smile at how passionate he was being. I was distracted long enough not to see the arms that were about to be wrapped around me, only becoming aware when I felt myself being pulled against a hard chest.

"Mind if I borrow your companion for a while?" His voice rang in my ears as he put his head on my shoulder.

"Of course not, I'll be in the training room if you need me Em." James gave a smile before striding off. I watched him go before my lips were captured by Chuck's warm ones. After a few seconds he released me so I could turn to face him.

"Hey." I whispered.

"Hey." He replied softly, lips meeting with mine for another second. "You were awesome out there and your buddy saved my ass."

"You're welcome, wouldn't want to see that pretty face hurt now would I?" He gave me a playful scowl. "And besides, you were okay yourself out there. Ow!" His hand gently poked my side and I responded with a small shove. My hands met a solid wall of muscle that seemed unmoving.

"Nice try." He whispered back before his lips claimed mine once again, tongue snaking past my lips. As I said, I couldn't imagine my life anywhere else.

* * *

_Chuck_

In my dream I was the Jaeger, my arms made of metal, light and heavy at the same time, the force I felt through them as they smashed against the soft flesh of my enemy. There were four Kaiju before me but I held my own against every one of them, blue liquid filling the water around me as they fell to their deaths but I still stood.

The adrenaline was still pumping through me as I woke, my arms now made of flesh but still they felt stiff like they had in my dream. The soft breathing next to me drew my attention, her black hair half across her face as she slept, the blankets covering the tattoo at the base of her spine, the black tattoo design with her parent's names accompanying it. She had told me about what happened to them; I couldn't stop the sadness that grew in me every time she had spoken of them. I had lost my mother so I knew what it was like to lose someone but to lose both… as much as my father and I were far from close I still had him. She had no one, it pained me even to think about that. Call me soft. I was past caring.

The heavy thump on the door drew my attention away from the beautiful woman who laid next to me, eyes half closed as she usually slept. Reluctantly I stood and put a pair of shorts on, hoping whoever was on the other side of the door would leave soon.

The man behind the door turned out to be my father who stood, an impatient look on his face. "The commander wants us in the control room. Now. Could you let Emily know?" He spoke, face as unreadable as a blank page though there was a small hint of discomfort as his head gestured towards my room at the last part.

"Sure." I said, closing the door without another word. I gently sat down on the bed, knowing I had to wake her but every part of me wanted to leave her sleeping. She was incredible beautiful anyway but when she slept she was something indescribable. All the pain and hurt from her life was gone, she was just… perfect. "Emily." I reluctantly spoke softly, my hand gently nudging her shoulder, her smooth skin beneath my fingers. "Emily." I spoke again and saw her slowly come to consciousness.

She rolled onto her back, the blankets moving to reveal the top of her breasts and I felt myself stiffen. Her eyes were still half open as she came to. "The commander needs to see us." I spoke again and she slowly nodded, one arm wiping her eyes to waken her further.

"Okay." She spoke sleepily as she rose from bed. With her back turned I could see her tattoo in full, the black pattern and script bold against her cream flesh. For a few seconds I had the strong urge to reach out and pull her to me, to delay the meeting and instead his her soft pink lips. I resisted this urge though, knowing Commander Davidson would not wait for anyone.

I waited for her, sat on the bed, as she pulled on her black jeans and black and red top. The ends of her dark hair blended into the top, the colours almost the same. She was perfectly suited to Midnight Tempest, the Jaeger definitely resembled her.

We headed out together, hand in hand as we walked the length of the corridors. Everyone knew about us, we were sure of it, but it was still new to me. Nobody had ever meant this much to me before, not that I knew how to say that though. We separated at the door to the commander's office, the whole PDA thing wasn't us but also we were about to be in front of the commander.

James and my father were already there when we entered, an unreadable look on the commander's face. James gave a warm smile to us both but my father's smile seemed to be for Emily alone.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I've summoned you all here this early in the morning." The commander begun, pacing back and forth as was usual for him. "We've had reports that Russia are facing an increase in the numbers of Kaiju, too many for them to handle alone while most of their Jaegers are in repair. They still have a few left, Cherno Alpha being the main one. I'm sure you've all heard of the Kaidanovsky's, they're resilient in battle but we all fear that isn't enough. That's why I am sending you both to the Russian base. It will only be temporary and you will be under the command of Commander Petrov, for the back up the Russians will surely need. I am sure you will find them all accommodating. You leave in an hour, get whatever you need and be ready. That's all." His speech was short but to the point, arm waving for everyone to leave as soon as he had finished.

"That's awesome!" James spoke as we left the office. "I've always wanted to go to Russia." He was beaming while Emily laughed with him. I had to admit I was a little jealous of James, jealous of his closeness with Emily. There was a certain bond with a Drift partner that you could ever get with anyone else and I did envy that. Not that I could admit it out loud though.

"Well looks like you're getting your chance to go there." She gave him a playful nudge which he responded to by messing with her hair. "Hey! That wasn't very nice!" She joked back, giving him a small kick in the shin. He feigned hurt, falling to the ground pretending to cry out in pain. "Get up idiot." She chuckled as he stood.

I couldn't stop myself from watching her as she played with her friend; there was just something about her that drew me to her, captured my attention with just a look. She noticed me after a few seconds and gave me a warm smile, a smile that filled me with something I wasn't used to. I was piloting a Jaeger, fighting the Kaiju and was with her; I couldn't imagine my life any different.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing but original characters.

Think this is the longest chapter I have written yet for this story. Thanks everyone who's been reading this, hope you enjoy this next one.

sassygirl9811: I know what you mean, was so sad to see how it ended.

I have written the Russian parts in Russian as well as the English in brackets, just thought to make it a bit more realistic. I do apologise for any mistakes as, as hard as I'm trying to learn Russian, I have had to use Google translate and we all know how inaccurate that can be. Anyway, hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it :)

* * *

_Emily_

Before us stood the blue and purple monster, blue liquid dripping from its jaw, a fierce look in its black eyes. My heart slowed as I controlled my breathing, thoughts focussed as I resisted the draw of the Drift. I looked to my left to see James smiling at me, his thoughts letting me know he was ready for the fight.

It made the first move but we were quick to respond, a sharp blow to the head sent it reeling back with force. The adrenaline flowing through my veins as I felt the beast break against the metal. It was a category 3, Meathead was its name.

"How about "the punching bag"?" James spoke, not that words were needed.

"Sounds good to me." I responded before putting our move into play. Within the minute our large black hands were stained with blue, we had won.

_Simulation ended_, the computer spoke as the screen cleared and we were released from the Drift. There was no better way to start the morning than a run in the simulator, killing Kaiju over and over again. Both exhausted, we looked at each other and smiled, adrenaline filling our bodies as we recovered from the "fight".

"Good one today, another one down for the records." I spoke to him as we fist bumped.

"Yeah just gotta do that well next time one attacks. I think "the punching bag" has just become my favourite move." It was a brutal one I had to give him that but we had yet to test it in a real fight.

"_Emily, rad tebya videt'!_ (Emily, good to see you!)" The Russian mountain known as Aleksis Kaidanovsky spoke as he wrapped an arm around me, taking the seat on my left. Chuck and I were sat eating lunch when the Russian came and set his food down. I had met the Russians the day we got there and we had quickly become friends.

"_Sasha, Aleksis, these are the Pilots who have come here to help." The Commander of the Russian Shatterdome spoke, his accent heavy. "Emily Sanders and James Davis with Midnight Tempest and Charles and Hercules Hansen with Striker Eureka." He was a sturdy man, short brown hair atop his head, the strong face of a strong man._

"_Hello." The man, Aleksis, spoke with a stern look about him. I could tell they weren't used to a lot of strange faces. _

"Eto khorosho, kogda, nakonets, poznakomit'sya s vami, ya slyshal mnogoye o vas._ (It's nice to finally meet you; I've heard great things about you.)" I spoke effortlessly as the Russian flowed; one of my great accomplishments was my knowledge of multiple languages. The two Russians relaxed a little, giving me a smile as I spoke their native tongue. _

"_I know a good Pilot when I see one." Sasha spoke out loud, giving me a smile._

We had been there for a few weeks and had seen nothing so most of our days were spent training or talking over food and drink. The Russian's had good Vodka here (and in plentiful supply) and we made good use of it. James had found love here too, a Russian mechanic who worked on Cherno. Helena her name was but so far James had kept her hidden from us, knowing how we would tease him.

"_Tak na posledney ataki, sushchestvo prishli na nas s kogtyami I Sasha povorachivayetsya ko mne s ulybkoy, I vmeste my urezan veshch'. My poslali udary s obeikh storon, poka, nakonets, polozhiv yego s chistoy sily._ (So on the last attack, the creature came at us with claws and Sasha turns to me with a smile and together we gutted the thing. We sent strikes to both sides before finally dropping it with pure strength.)" Aleksis laughed as he told me about their latest triumph, something both Russian's loved doing more than drinking.

"Hey guys. I've got someone I want you to meet. This is Helena." James spoke as he came over to us with a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was petite but she had attractive qualities; I could see the sparkle in James's eyes as he looked at her.

"Favourite film?" I asked her, waiting for her response. Whenever someone started hanging with us we always ran the same tests to see if they were compatible so it was only fair to do the same to Helena. Sasha, Aleksis, James, Chuck and I all loved the same sort of things; we often had Slipknot and other bands alike playing whenever we spent time together.

"Um, either Fast and Furious or Evil Dead?" She replied, her accent heavy. We all kept straight faces as I proceeded with the next question.

"Slipknot or Justin Bieber?"

"Slipknot hands down, I love their music; there are some great bands here in Russia too!"

"Last question, James Hetfield or Alice Cooper?"

"I cannot answer that."

"Correct answer it was a trick question." I spoke.

"So, what's the verdict?" James asked as he took a seat opposite me.

"You passed!" We all said together, unable to keep straight faces any longer.

"_Dzheyms khoroshiy chelovek, yesli vy yemu bol' vam pridetsya menya imet' delo s!_ (James is a good man, if you hurt him you'll have me to deal with!)" I smiled to her coolly, knowing James couldn't speak Russian. James was a good friend and I was only looking out for him, I knew he'd do the same for me; we were Drift partners, we always had each other's backs.

"_Ne volnuytes', ya ne budu_. (Don't worry, I won't.)" She replied with a small smile.

"Then we should get along fine." I gave her a warmer smile and went back to eating as she took a seat beside James opposite.

"So, when are you two getting married?" Sasha asked with a sly smile, looking between Chuck and I. I felt him tense a little beside me, knowing he was beginning to grow uncomfortable. Marriage wasn't something either of us had even thought about, especially not with the attacks; there was no time for that.

"Um, Sasha, I don't think that's something we've really thought about yet, I mean with the attacks and all…" I spoke up and I felt Chuck relax a little beside me, hoping that would be the end of it. We weren't the best at talking about our relationship; we knew how we felt but talking about it wasn't something we did.

"Okay, but don't let this one go Chuck, she's a good person." She gave me a smile, which I returned.

"I don't intend to." Chuck smiled at me, his hand squeezing mine under the table for a brief moment.

"_O Sasha, ostavit' v pokoye eti dva._ (Oh Sasha, leave those two alone.) She's getting bored, not having any Kaiju to kill." His wife shook her head at him.

"This one is too I think." James nodded in my direction causing us all to laugh. Our merriment was cut short as the voice began to speak over the radio system.

"Cherno Alpha, Midnight Tempest, Striker Eureka, report to bays immediately. Kaiju attack. Codename: Axehead, Category 3, weighs 9,800 tons." It was killing time.

"Looks like the boredom is over Sasha." I said to her before we headed to the Jaeger bays.

"I'll see you later Helena." James gave her a light kiss before heading out.

"See you on the other side." Chuck whispered to me, pulling me into a kiss. Our lips moved together, a short but passionate kiss.

"See you on the other side." I replied before we went separate ways. James was waiting for me, already suited up.

"You ready?" He asked as the men suited me up. I gave him a look as if to say 'what do you think?'.

"So Helena?" I replied as we got into positions, a teasing look in my eyes.

"What about her?" He replied coolly.

"You gone the distance with her yet? You might as well tell me, I'll be in your head soon." He shook his head, chuckling a little.

"Not yet, tonight was gonna be the night." He was such a romantic; I knew he would have had a night of romance planned out contrary to what happened with my first time with Chuck.

"Well, I'm sure she won't want to wait to jump your bones after we get back from the kill." I smiled at him earning a look of disgust.

"You know, you and Chuck should try actually going on a date. You know, dinner, movie, normal kinds of activities not Kaiju drinking games." He said, reminding me of the night.

"That happened once James. Besides, Chuck and I don't do that soppy crap." I gave him a teasing look.

"_Cherno Alpha, Vy gotovy?_ (Cherno Alpha, are you ready?)" The Russian Commander spoke through the intercom.

"_Cherno Alpha vse gotovo_! (Cherno Alpha all set!)" Aleksis replied.

"Midnight Tempest?"

"We're good to go!" James replied.

"Striker Eureka?"

"Ready and waiting." Herc's voice spoke through the system.

"Good, initiating Neural Handshake." Then James and my mind melted as one as our memories flowed; as I thought, he had the whole romantic night planned.

"Rangers, your orders are this: Cherno and Midnight will keep the Kaiju from the coast, Striker, you hang back. If the Kaiju gets to the coast or the Jaegers need assistance, it's your job. We need as many Jaegers to remain active as possible. You know your orders, now go do them!" The Commander spoke, voice stern as ever.

"I was looking forward to kicking some Kaiju ass today." I heard Chuck speak, a tone of disappointment evident.

"Looks like you'll have a longer wait for that." I replied. "Don't worry Chuck, I'm sure you'll get one soon."

"Won't be so cocky when you need us to come save you." He replied.

"When have I needed that? Come on Chuck, everyone knows it's me saving your ass out there." James and I shared a laugh at that. Only I could get away with taunting Chuck like that and I took full advantage of it. "Let me know when you think of a comeback." I added after a long pause from Chuck.

"I will!" Chuck replied as we were dropped into position.

"Midnight take the left side and we'll flag the right side of it." Aleksis spoke.

"Sure thing." I replied as we prepared for battle.

The Kaiju emerged from the water and smashed into our Jaeger, it was definitely strong I had to give it that. Axehead was a perfect description with its head shaped like an Axe waiting to smash into the metal standing against it. It let out a ghastly cry before Cherno moved to land some well-placed hits on the beast. We got up and landed some of our own from behind. While it tried to smash through Cherno Alpha, its tail knocked us backwards.

"You sure you don't need my help?" Chuck asked mockingly.

"Not really the time Chuck, only cause you want to be out here." I replied as we tried to dodge the oncoming attacks.

"What do you say we give it the 'backstabber'?" James spoke.

"Sounds like a plan." I replied with a smile before engaging the sword. We followed our move, moving behind the Kaiju. "_Cherno, uderzhivayte Kaiju, my sobirayemsya, chtoby poluchit' yego szadi._ (Cherno, hold the Kaiju, we're going to get it from behind.)"

"_Skopiruyte etu Midnight._ (Copy that Midnight.)" While Cherno Alpha held the Kaiju we drove the sword into the flesh of its back. It screeched out, its tail swinging at our Jaeger.

"James hold the tail!" I called out and he did so. With the sword I came down on it, severing it from the Kaiju, blue blood spilling out. Cherno Alpha then delivered some electric blows to the Kaijus stomach with their Tesla powered fists. Finally the Kaiju signature disappeared as the dead creature fell into the water.

"Midnight, Cherno, is everything all right?" Herc spoke out.

"Everything is great, we've taken it down." I replied.

"Bring your Jaegers back to the shore and we'll bring you home." The Commander spoke.

* * *

Chuck had come to find me after we had returned to the Shatterdome.

"Hey, sorry if I seemed a bit of an ass out there." He spoke quietly.

"Forget it; I believe there are some more important things to do." I replied with a teasing look. Chuck's arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. I moved my arms around his neck and leant up to kiss him. It was soft at first but it picked up speed as our lips moved together.

"Better get you out of this suit." His voice whispered, breath hot against my skin.

"What are we stood here for?" I replied before taking his hand and leading him back to my room.

When we got there we shut the door and immediately took off where we left. He held my face in his hands as his lips captured mine. After a few moments I pulled back, looking into his eyes before getting out of the suits. He pulled me close, bringing me into another kiss; his hands ran down my back, coming to rest on my hips, gripping them as I wrapped my arms tighter around his neck.

I felt the bed hit the back of my legs as we moved backwards. Laying down on it he positioned himself above me as the burning desire spread through us both. The contact of our bodies sent electric pulses running through me and my skin tingled as he ran his hands down my sides. I moved my hands up his back to his shoulders, gripping him tighter as he moved inside me. I buried my head in his neck, one hand moving to grip his hair as we continued.

The pace quickened with every passing second, unable to hold resolve as we both were overwhelmed with desire. His lips moved from mine, sending hot kisses down my jaw and neck. My legs wrapped around him as the movements intensified and groans came from both of us as we neared the edge. His came first and I followed seconds after in a surge of release, both of us breathless.

When we had finished he moved off me to lay beside me, pulling me to him so I lay partially on his chest, his arm wrapped around me. He looked down and our eyes connected in the look we shared as he smiled. Leaning down slightly, his lips met mine softly for a gentle kiss.

"You were pretty amazing out there." He spoke softly.

"Thanks, sorry you didn't get in on the action." I replied.

"Just as long as I get in on this action." He smiled as I laughed at his meaning.

"There's nobody else." I paused for a moment trying to work out how to say what was on my mind. "So James reckons we should try going on a date sometime." I spoke nonchalantly, trying not to sound too interested in it. I knew the relationship Chuck and I had wasn't like most people's but that didn't mean I didn't want to try it, I just wasn't sure Chuck would.

"He does? Like what? Dinner? Movie? Candles?" He replied.

"Something like that, I mean whatever that's his thing." I replied casually brushing it off.

"Well I heard Viktor got hold of a copy of Predator and there's some beers we got when we arrived. Heard they're even serving steak tonight as a celebration. Could take the food and go to the rec room and watch the film?"

"Are you serious?" I replied, expecting him to laugh it off in a second.

"Yeah, I mean I've not really done the whole dating thing before but we could try. I know it's not really dinner at a restaurant and roses on the bed after a nice walk on the beach. And I know Predator isn't a romantic film…"

"Just to stop you there." I said, propping myself up on elbows to look him in the eyes. "One I don't need dinner at a restaurant and roses and walks on the beach. Just being with you is enough and it's the thought that counts. And two, since when have I been into all those chick flicks? Predator sounds like the perfect movie to me." I kissed him gently.

"You are a one of a kind you know that." He replied giving me another soft kiss.

"You're not so common yourself." I replied giving him a smile.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own nothing (though I wish I did) but original characters

Thanks to everyone whose been reading this, hope you're enjoying it. Hope this chapter lives up to the rest of the story :D Again, apologies for the Russian if not accurate, used my old friend Google Translate again as I don't know enough Russian yet.

sassygirl9811: Hope this helps you forget. I'm not quite sure whether I will kill him off or not yet. I also don't want to ruin the story for you ;)

Enjoy :)

* * *

_Chuck_

We had stayed at the Russian Shatterdome for about two months, with only one Kaiju kill, before their repairs were complete and we could return home to Australia. It was really interesting to see how things were run in a different place and how similar it was to ours.

I was itching to get home; it wasn't that I didn't like the Russians, I just didn't feel as comfortable here. Unlike Emily who seemed as if she was at home as she interacted with the Kaidanovskys. I had to admit it, I did love it when she spoke Russian even if I didn't understand a word she was saying.

I felt my father come to stand next to me as I waited for Emily in the hanger bay; our transport home was supposed to arrive within the hour but she wanted to say goodbye to the Kaidanovskys before we left. I didn't turn to look at him but I could feel his eyes on me, knowing all he wanted was an acknowledgement of his presence. After a few minutes he finally spoke.

"I like Emily, I hope you know that. I think she's good for you." I couldn't help the feeling of annoyance that began to fill me at his words.

"And? I wasn't looking for your approval old man." I replied with my eyes still fixed away from him.

"Can't we have an actual conversation for a change?" I turned at that, eyes narrowing slightly.

"What do you care? We drift fine, that's all that matters…" My attention was drawn away at the sound of her voice travelling through the air.

She strode into view with Sasha next to her, both speaking in Sasha's native tongue. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, swinging side to side with every step, the light making it seem to shine slightly as if it were made of black diamonds. I had no idea what they were talking about but her sweet laugh filled my ears, one of the most amazing sounds I had ever heard.

"_Ne slishkom mnogo udovol'stviya zdes' bez menya._ (Don't have too much fun here without me.)" Emily said to Sasha as they approached us.

"I won't I promise. You take care of her Chuck." Sasha's accent was thick as she spoke. "_I ubedites', chto priglasit' menya na svad'bu_. (And make sure to invite me to the wedding.)" She let out a loud laugh at the last part and earned a playful push from Emily. Whatever she said must have been funny.

"Shut up Sasha." She replied.

"What was that?" I asked her and noticed her face turn a slight shade of pink.

"Don't worry about it, it was just Sasha messing with me." She gave a playful scowl to the Russian woman who began to laugh again. "James not here yet?"

"I thought he was with you?" I replied, guessing he was still with Helena.

"Ah, we know where he is then." Her smile turned wicked with suggestion. "Oh hey Herc. You ready to go?" She turned to my father and gave him a big smile.

"That I am, will be nice to be on home soil again." He replied, sending a smile back to her.

"I know what you mean." She replied before turning back to me, her eyes smiling wider than her mouth. "Will miss this place though."

Before long a petite blonde woman and a taller man with brown hair rounded the corner, hand in hand. They stopped just in view, James giving his new girlfriend one last kiss goodbye before coming to join us.

"Take care of him Emily." Helena spoke as she was pulled into a hug, her blonde hair contrasting with Emily's charcoal.

"I will. Take care of yourself." She gave the woman a smile before James pulled her into a final hug goodbye.

"She said she'd keep in contact." James couldn't keep the smile off his face every time he spoke of her, it was quite funny to see him so smitten.

"Make sure you do, lover-boy." Emily gave James a wink followed by a small nudge.

"I sure as hell intend to. Oh by the way, its your turn next time we Drift, its time for my revenge for that guy." He nodded to me, earning a look from Emily.

"I know you James, too many roses and soppy looks is going to be what I get to look forward to." He let out a small laugh at that.

"Well you would know me." He joked back. "Oh and I heard you took my advice." He looked at me at that.

"About the whole dating thing?" I asked to which he nodded.

"Though you could do better than Predator, I mean come on man. Don't you know anything?"

"Hey, I love that film and you know it!" Emily gave him another shove.

As we walked to the exit of the Shatterdome, I couldn't shake his words from my mind. He was right; I could, no should do better. It was what she deserved, better. Better than me.

* * *

_Emily_

It was a quiet ride back to the Australian Shatterdome, the world drifted by as we passed across the ocean, across the cities, across the barren lands. The destruction the Kaiju had brought with them was evident, scars and pocks left in the earth, charred remains of what was once people's homes. I couldn't think of all we had lost, it was too much and too painful to think of the past I had left behind.

Their faces still haunted my memories; my mother, her cheerful laughter that always made me smile to hear and my father, a man strong of face but he always had a smile for me. She had blonde hair, my colour coming from my father instead, always looking as if it were made of real gold but feeling like silk. His dark moustache would tickle my cheek every time he gave me a kiss, his cloudy blue eyes would always make me feel safe. Whenever I was scared he would scoop my into his arms and tell me he would always be there for me. He was wrong about that.

I hadn't realised my eyes had filled with water at the memory, my vision a cloudy blur as the world turned melted together. I felt a small stream run down the side of my face, leaving behind a cool sensation as the air blew against my face. I looked up to see James looking at me, a sad look in his eyes as he saw the glistening in my eyes. He'd been in my head many times, he knew me as well as I knew myself. Sometimes better I thought. He was silent but the sad smile he gave me told me he was there if I ever needed anyone to talk to.

As much as I cared about Chuck there was just something about a co-pilot, a feeling you could never share with anyone else. I didn't have feelings for James, we were one mind sharing two bodies, inside the Jaeger and outside. He had become a part of me like I had become a part of him.

The memory of my parents brought feelings to the surface I had long buried; it hit me that I had lost the two most important people who had ever existed but now I had even more to lose. I felt my throat become dry, as if it were made of sandpaper instead of flesh. I choked back a cry but couldn't stop the flood that followed. I looked to James for help but instead found an arm had subtly wrapped around my waist, another enveloping my hand as his thumb gently brushed my skin. I looked up slightly to see Chuck's face was soft, his eyes conveying the words to calm me. No words were spoken but no words were needed.

I managed to calm my breathing, listening to the world passing by me as we rode across the landscape in our helicopter. I sank my head against his shoulder as I focussed on the blur of colours outside. Our Jaegers were being transported home while we travelled back. Home, yes, the Australian Shatterdome was my home now and my new family were there.

* * *

None of us talked about the helicopter ride, knowing some things were best left unsaid. I knew my family were there for me and that was enough, I didn't need words of comfort. Words were empty. _I'll always be here for you, I promise_. The words of the broken promise filled my head but I shut down the emotion before it had chance to take hold of me again. I was strong, I had to be strong.

It had been a long journey back from Russia, each of us gurgling with empty bellies but luckily Commander Davidson had prepared dinner ready for our arrival. The look of relief on everyone's faces was hilarious as their stomachs demanded to be fed.

As we sat at the table eating, a thought entered my mind, stemming from my earlier thoughts. It was a silly question, I knew, there were better things to think about, yet I couldn't stop the words from leaving my mouth.

"Just a random question, what do you guys miss? I mean from before this all started." Everyone looked up from their food, their minds slipping to deep thought.

"I guess I miss surfing. Just going out and riding that wave, there isn't anything better. But its not like I can really do that and there is always the chance you'll be caught in a Kaiju attack. But those waves we used to get here, they were perfect." James's eyes glassed over for a second as his mind travelled to a more peaceful time.

"Nice. What about you Herc?" I gave him a small smile before I saw the wave of sadness pass across his eyes for a brief moment as his wife's name came to his lips. As it passed, his answer changed.

"Barbeques. I know that's so typical for an Australian to say but I loved them. Having the street round and just enjoying the nice weather, spending time with family." His eyes wandered to Chuck who responded by dropping his eyes to his food, unwilling to look at his father.

"I know what you mean." James laughed with him.

"Chuck?" His eyes lifted again at my voice.

"I dunno, there's not much thinking of something you can't have." His eyes were on his father, a second meaning behind his words only meant for Herc.

"I miss time." I spoke up, breaking the tension that had begun to build. James gave me a funny look, not quite understanding what I meant. "I mean time to relax, time to just sit and not have to worry about the next attack or think about anything. Time to enjoy life." The words spread to all ears, knowing they felt the same. While we had days where we weren't fighting the Kaiju and we could have a laugh with each other we were always on alert, ready to step up if we were needed. There was no time to relax, not even for a second. There was a sad look on everyone's faces as the realisation hit, the mood had sunk so low. "And I miss chocolate. Its so hard to get with all this rationing." A surge of laughter broke out at that, the mood raised again.

"I could kill for some crisps right now." James replied with a chuckle.

"I second that." Chuck responded as more laughter broke out once more.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own anything (but wish I did) except original characters.

Thanks everyone for reading this, hope you're enjoying it. Updates may not be so frequent in the coming months as am starting my second year at Uni the week after next though I will continue writing this. Hope you all enjoy this next chapter.

sassygirl9811: Sorry, my bad :) Hope you're enjoying it

Enjoy! 

* * *

_Emily_

"What do you mean? How can they shut this down?" I all but shouted at the commander. I couldn't believe the words that he had just spoken; they were shutting down the Jaeger programme in favour of the 'Wall of Life' that was supposed to protect us from the Kaiju. "So the Kaiju will keep coming but we will be safe behind our walls. Is that what they're saying? We need to be out there fighting not hiding in the hopes they'll leave us alone!" I could barely contain my anger, resolve crumbling with every word.

"Emily." I heard Herc's voice, a warning of such to keep my cool.

"I'm sorry, these are your orders, the Governments have come together and decided the Wall is the best option. After Gipsy fell we're losing the battle, more and more Jaegers are falling with every attack. It's just not viable any more. Believe me I don't like this any more than you do but these are our orders. We have until the end of this week then you can go home." He dismissed us after that, leaving us to stew in our resentment.

Home? Where was that? The Shatterdome was my home now; I had lost the last one when my parents died. Where would I go next?

"I don't believe it!" Chuck raged as soon as we were out the door.

"They're going to live to regret it, I'm sure of that, but there's nothing we can do about it. I've been to Alaska, to meet with Stacker Pentecost, he's trying to activate all he can in a last attempt but we have to accept this for now." The mention of Stacker's name made my heart skip a beat.

I had met him when I was living with my Uncle Mark, before I joined the Pan Pacific Defence corps; he was a kind man and I found myself feeling more comfortable with him than I ever did with my uncle. He had a daughter, adopted after her parents were killed in an attack. She was a few years younger than I was but I couldn't help but wonder what my life would have been life if someone like Stacker had taken me in instead. I found myself spending more and more time with Mako and Stacker than I did my own uncle, his time was much better spent on the potential Jaeger pilots than his own niece.

"Well I still think this is shit! Its mediocre pilots, can't trust them in a Jaeger, they're the ones who are losing to the bloody Kaiju." Chuck began to pace, his face contorted with anger and hatred.

"They're getting smart aren't they? They know our defences." James spoke up, earning a sad nod from Herc.

"Well I say we go out with a bang, give the next Kaiju something to think about if we see one before the end." I offered, a spark glittering in Chuck's eyes as he listened to my words. "We won't lose."

* * *

We got our final fight, a Category 4 with the name Shocker, the name certainly being earned buy its electric blue glow. It proved to be a tough son of a bitch, they definitely seemed prepared for a fight, but we got the better of it.

"Striker, it's coming your way." I shouted as I saw the beast heading for the Jaeger.

"We see it, we'll hold it in place, you get from behind." Herc's voice responded as we moved to take our place in the fight.

"You thinking 'The Samurai'?" I asked James as we reached the Kaiju.

"Do you even need to ask?" He gave me a mocking look, followed by the wicked grin only he could give.

"Fair enough." I responded as I activated our sword, sending strokes either side of the monster, the blue liquid filling as metal struck flesh. Striker continued to blast the creature with its mighty fists from the front.

"Stand back." Chuck shouted as I saw Striker's chest open to reveal the missile launcher. The blows ripped through its chest, tearing its flesh apart as the water turned a brighter shade of blue from the Kaiju.

"Nice one." I spoke as I saw the remains laid to waste.

"Just so you know we're covering your asses." Chuck replied and I couldn't contain my laughter.

* * *

The welcome back from the mission was greater than ever yet there was a certain apprehension filling the air. No one on the Shatterdome wanted the programme disbanded yet there was nothing they could do to stop it. The suits and ties had made their decision and all we could do was follow the orders.

Within the hour we were sent to our rooms to pack up. Peeling the photos off the wall I couldn't help but linger on one of my family; I was only six when it was taken, Christmas at my Nan's house. My mother and father were there, as was my Nan, the four of us together on the sofa, a family. It had taken my mother four attempts at setting the camera on automatic before she finally gave up and let my father try. That day was one of the happiest moments of my life.

My eyes were then drawn to the next photo, one much more recent. It was a picture of me and James stood in front of our newly assigned Jaeger; Midnight Tempest shone in the background, her sleek black paint almost glittering. I had been so excited the first time I saw her, I just had to get a photo for my collection.

The last one brought a smile to my face; it was a picture of Chuck and me after one of our joint battles, the smug smiles a product of victory. I felt privileged to see another side to Chuck, not the angry mask he always wore but the softer man behind it.

A knock at my door drew me from my thoughts. Placing the last photo in the box that held my stuff I opened the door, revealing Chuck behind it with a grin on his face.

"Hey." I greeted him with a return smile. "Come in."

"Hey. You all packed yet?" He leant against the wall as he watched me pack away the last few things.

"Nearly, just got to make sure I've got everything." I replied.

"Cool. Hey I was wondering, where are you going now we're leaving?" I hadn't really thought about that, I had never lived in Australia so I had nowhere to go or any idea.

"I guess a hotel or something for now, until I can figure it out." He shook his head at that.

"You're not staying in a hotel. I was actually wondering if you wanted to come live with us, with me." His smile grew wider as his eyes met mine. "What'd you say?"

"You should ask you dad first, he might not want…" I began.

"He already thinks it's a good idea. He actually suggested it." I couldn't resist the smile stretching across my face.

"Then yes." Before I could say another word, his lips came crashing down on mine as he held me close. We stood like that for a few moments before slowly parting.

"Glad you said that."

* * *

_Chuck_

Part of me was nervous when I asked her the question, fearing her answer slightly. I knew she would probably have nowhere to go after we left and I wanted it more than anything else. Glad to say, her answer made my day.

I saw a look of anticipation on my father's face as we walked to the hanger bay to put Emily's stuff on the transport. As I put her boxes in place I saw she strode off to talk to James of her plans, a squeal of excitement following.

"So I take it she said yes?" My father's voice came from behind me.

"Yeah she did." I replied, knowing I should probably thank him for the idea but the words just wouldn't come.

"Told you she would. Will be nice having her around." His hand rested on my shoulder for a moment. "She's a good woman."

"Do you think I don't know that?" I spat back at him, taking his words as an insult even though they probably weren't.

"I was just saying." His hands went up in defence as he left me alone. I knew I could be nicer to my dad it was just so hard after my mum died.

"So James, you going to Russia to meet your girlfriend?" I joked as I walked over to stand my Emily, my hand resting against her back for a second.

"I think I'm gonna stay around Australia for a bit but I am planning a trip. She wrote to tell me she'd be vising soon. The long distance thing is hard but she's worth it." A smile spread across his face.

"Somebody's in love." Emily teased, poking at his sides making kissing noises.

"Stop being so childish." He joked back, poking his tongue out in response.

"That's being childish." She got out between laughing at her co-pilot.

"I'll miss you Em. Keep in touch okay?" His face had a sad smile.

"I'll miss you too. Definitely, you too. You can't get rid of me that easily." She pulled him into a hug, sharing a goodbye.

"Take care of her Chuck, you got that?" He gave me a look, eyebrows raised.

"You can be sure of it. Good luck with whatever you do next." He extended his hand which I shook.

"Thanks, you too." He turned to Emily again. "He's alright, you didn't do bad for yourself."

"Take care of yourself James."

"You too."

I had to admit it was sad to part ways with the guy, he was easy to get on with; he knew pretty much everyone on the base. Stepping outside I turned back to look at the Shatterdome once more, the place that had been our home for the past five years. It was such a sight, nothing particularly standing out about it but it was full of memories. And home to Striker Eureka and Midnight Tempest.

That was it, we were out into the real world. The world behind the wall that was supposed to protect us from the Kaiju. We should be out there fighting, instead we have to hope for the best and live out our lives behind a wall. How could we just trust a wall to keep us safe? How are you supposed to live a life outside the Shatterdome when that's all you really know?


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I own nothing but original characters.

Apologies for the lack of updates, I am back at Uni and am working hard :) Hope this next chapter is okay.

Lil-B-Rebel: Glad you enjoyed the last chapter. The names I used were correct according to the wiki but sorry if there was any mistakes. wiki/Aleksis_Kaidonovsky wiki/Sasha_Kaidonovsky

* * *

_Emily_

I can't remember the last time I was this bored, sitting around with nothing to do and nowhere to be; that's what life was like for me in the real world. Since the Shatterdome closed I've been drifting without a purpose. I never planned my life ahead, I only thought about which Kaiju would come next, so when it came to decide what to do with my life I was stumped. I knew Chuck felt the same; neither of us knew a life outside the Shatterdome. Herc had the Air Force, a place to go if he couldn't find or didn't want to find anywhere else but we had nothing.

So I would often find myself wandering the house, the land, the city with no destination, no real purpose. I would walk to the coast to watch those hard at work at building the wall that was supposed to save us. That was where decommissioned pilots would end up, risking their lives just to survive. But that wasn't going to be me, I was certain of that. I would do anything but risk my life for something that we were sure would ultimately fail.

The days passed by, the weeks followed, all of us lost in the new world. Since leaving the Shatterdome I was plagued with insomnia, having nothing to do to take my mind off what we lost. Slipping out of bed carefully, trying to avoid waking Chuck, I quietly left the room only to be greeted by a warm body colliding with my legs as Max tried to get my attention.

"Hey boy, you want some love?" I whispered to the bull dog, kneeling down to get him better. His response was licking my hand as I tried to pet him. "You coming down with me?" I asked, standing and heading for the stairs, Max eagerly following. He was Chuck's dog but he loved me just the same.

I gently descended the steps, Max bouncing down after me making as much noise a dog his size could make. As I reached the bottom I saw a dim light coming from the front room, quiet noises accompanying it. It seemed I wasn't the only one awake at this ridiculous time.

Herc was positioned on his chair, sprawled out a little with one leg draped over the arm of the chair. He had a cup of steaming coffee in one hand and a remote control in the other. He was too distracted to notice my entrance as I approached him; he almost jumped out of his skin when he first heard my voice.

"Hey Herc, what you watching?" I whispered softly.

"Jeez I didn't see you there Em. Its Alien, the first one, only just started it if you wanted to join me. I keep comparing it to the Kaiju attacks for some reason, though these Aliens have nothing on the Kaiju really." I sat down on the side of the sofa next to Herc, using the sofa cushion as a pillow. "Oh Happy Birthday by the way." He spoke up after a minute. I couldn't help but sigh at that; it wasn't that I hated my birthday it was just I didn't see the point in it. "You didn't think I'd forgotten?"

"Hoped so." I replied, earning a chuckle from Herc.

"You never like us fussing over your birthday."

"It's never been too important, especially with the increased number of attacks. Anyway it's just one day out of the 365 in the year." I wish he'd just drop it but I knew all too well I wouldn't get my wish.

"It's been five years since you became part of the family as well Emily. Chuck's got something planned by the way, can't give too much away else he'll talk to me even less than he already does." Herc replied, his relationship with Chuck had always been strained since I knew them and being home didn't make it any better. I think Herc liked having me around, stopped him feeling as lonely.

"Herc, you know he cares deep down. He's just…" I tried but he cut me off.

"I'm glad we've got you around you know, Chuck will never change." He paused for a few moments before deflecting. "We'll give you your presents later when he wakes."

"Presents? I don't know why you bother really?"

"Because you're family and besides, you fuss over us when it's our birthdays." I did always like making their birthdays special but when it came to my own I really didn't care.

"Yeah but you don't need to with me."

"You love it really." I must admit it was nice being part of their family, I hadn't had anyone since my parents died and it felt nice to have people who cared for me around again.

* * *

It was a few hours later that Chuck woke, the evident by the stomping down the stairs. We had been watching the Alien series in silence for the most part, both of us enjoying the company; we were just finishing the third film when Chuck entered the room, Max jumping up and down when he saw him.

"I'm making coffee, you guys want some?" Herc spoke as he stood, stretching out his muscles, his thick accent coming through.

"Yes please." I responded, feeling the need for caffeine, and Chuck nodded. When Herc left, Chuck sat beside me wrapping an arm around my waist as he pulled me close to him.

"Happy Birthday." He whispered in my ear before giving me a soft kiss. I knew Herc was just trying to stay out of the way, it seemed to be a regular occurrence.

After breakfast I was told to stay in the kitchen while they sorted out the front room. I knew they had both made a special effort for me but I couldn't stop myself wishing my parents were there to see me now. I could hear them shuffling things around, talking in whispers to hide what they were saying; it was the only real time they had worked together since our last mission.

Just as I was debating whether to get a coffee, Herc called out telling me to come back to the living room. Walking into the room I saw a small pile of wrapped up gifts on the floor; I really didn't expect anything from them but I couldn't stop the excitement building as I took in what was laid before me.

"Guys you really shouldn't have." I said as I sat down beside Chuck, his arm snaking around me to pull me close.

"Nonsense." Chuck replied, grabbing the first from the pile. "Open this one first." He had a cheeky grin smothered across his face.

"Okay." I carefully ripped open the red paper to reveal a brown cover with the words on the front that made my heart jump. "No you didn't! You remembered! How did you get this?" It was 'The Lord of the Rings' complete book set, something I had been wanting for a while. One of the mechanics for Striker had a copy of the first book and let me borrow it; I was so enthralled by the story I had my heart set on getting the books one day, knowing that day would probably never come.

"I did. Dad had a mate that owned an old book shop, he got in touch and turns out he had one last copy of it." I turned to Herc with the biggest smile ever to have crossed my face.

"You don't know how much this means to me." I told him.

"I know." He replied earning a hug of thanks in response.

"Now this one." Herc broke the hug after a few moments, passing me another present.

* * *

We spent the morning opening presents and watching TV, the perfect birthday for me. I had much more than I ever could have wished for and was so grateful for the people I had in my life.

Chuck took me out for dinner that night; the first meal out I had had in, well forever. I almost felt like I had stepped into a dream world for a moment, far from the chaos I had come from, never wanting to go back to my old life. He took me on a detour on the way home, stopping to find a picnic of sorts, laid out on the grass. Apparently Herc had been busy while we'd been out. There were bottles of beer and a chocolate cake; my two best things.

"Thanks so much for such a wonderful day." I whispered to Chuck, giving him a long kiss to convey how much it meant to me. He sat behind me on the blanket and I moved to settle between his legs, his arm wrapping around my waist to hold me close.

"Here's the last present." He said, handing me a wrapped package. I gave him a look, knowing he had done more than enough already but he nodded to it. I opened it and inside was a framed photo of us, one taken not long after our first mission. "This is the photo I took of us in front of your Jaeger, I remember how excited you were about taking her out for a spin." My eyes glanced over my smiling face, the glimmer in my eyes as I remembered how it felt to be inside of her, connected to her. I turned away to look up into his eyes, so happy that he was here with me.

"I love it." My lips met his for a gentle kiss before reaching for a beer, handing one to Chuck. "Here's to us and this Wall they are going to build." Our bottles clinked together.

"Yeah, will still be a mistake though." I knew he was right about that one.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I own nothing but original characters.

Well after what seems like forever I'm finally back with a new chapter, thanks to everyone who's reading this. Took me so long to write I know so many apologies and hope you all enjoy this one. Its a fairly long one, just had so much in my head I wanted to write :P

musicluver246: Thanks for the review :D

* * *

_Emily_

I had lost count of the weeks that had passed since the Shatterdome had been shut down; we all knew the wall of life would be a huge waste of time and money but now our fears were about to be proven.

I had been lying in bed for hours, tossing and turning but never being able to slip into the dark peace of sleep, the minutes slowly passing by as I turned to check the time. The grumbling snore that rumbled through me reminding me how easily it was for Chuck to fall into bliss. I closed my eyes, willing myself to drift away but it was useless; something inside me was anxious, desperate to keep myself conscious.

I turned over to the man lying next to me, his face absent of stress or worry as he lay in peace, his chest slowly rising up and down as he took each deep breath. I couldn't keep my eyes away from him, the only thing keeping me from utter boredom and frustration. That right there, the moment of being together without the threat of impending defeat was what I was grateful for. Knowing that we could stay here forever and the world would continue without us. That's what I thought anyway.

A loud sired echoed through the air, red lights flashing outside the window, breaking through the curtains to create patches of crimson. Within seconds after the sirens were heard, the house began to echo the familiar tune of the telephone, knowing who would be on the other end. It was cut off as a faint Australian voice answered the phone.

I was up before Herc had the chance to come into the room, a panicked look clear on his face despite how he tried to hide it. There were few times I had seen Herc like this; it was usually a very bad sign.

"We've been given the alert; we're needed in the Shatterdome." He got out between breaths.

"I thought they shut that down?" I replied, knowing in my heart the only reason we would be called back but unable to accept it until the words were spoken aloud.

"It's the Kaiju; they've broken through the Wall." The words struck me, my heart skipping a beat as the realisation of our situation hit.

"I bloody knew it! How could they think that thing would hold them back? Don't they see what's been going on out there?" I spoke, anger breaking though the brief wave of shock and panic as I stood to face him.

"I know, it might as well not been built." He shook his head; I knew he felt the same way I did. "Get Chuck ready, we're heading out now, the helicopter is coming for us in four minutes. James is there already I've been told." He then left the room as I walked back to the bed, eyes scanning over the sleeping body.

I couldn't believe Chuck had slept through everything, the world could be ending and he'd sleep right through it none the wiser. Part of me envied him, wishing I had the capacity to ignore the world around me, to shut myself off and sleep the night away. I guess you don't always get what you want right? I almost didn't want to wake him when he looked so peaceful but I had no choice, we had a duty to fulfil.

"Chuck." I spoke softly, gently nudging him. He stirred a little, swatting away my hand with his before slipping back into unconsciousness. "Chuck, come on. We have to go." I spoke a little louder, nudging a little harder. He responded a little more the second time, eyes semi-opening to see my form standing over him.

"Emily?" He asked groggily.

"Yeah its me, we've been called to the Shatterdome. A Kaiju broke through." I told him, watching his peaceful face turn hard at the news.

"I fucking knew it, those bastards thought a wall would stop the motherfuckers getting through but I knew they were wrong." His stare was hard, eyes as cold as ice as the fire built within him.

"Calm down Chuck, we're going to stop them." I tried but his hateful glare remained, angry at those who practically let the Kaiju in.

"How can I?" Was his only reply, fire in his tone.

"Well keep that anger for the fight, your dad said they'd be coming for us soon." He nodded and I saw he went into complete automatic mode, acting like a robot with a direct mission.

* * *

_Chuck_

As soon as Emily told me what happened, I felt myself fill with rage. I knew this day would come, I knew the day when they needed us to swoop in and save their sorry asses from the shit they let happen would come. I wasn't made for normal life, fighting was what I did, it was what I was good at but they took that away. And now look what's happened. The Wall idea was just a fucking joke.

As soon as we got to the Shatterdome we were whisked away to be fitted into our suits, suits I hadn't seen for months. I kinda liked the familiarity the Shatterdome brought, the sight of the Jaegers made me smile. Seeing Midnight Tempest next to Striker Eureka gave me more joy than any trip out; knowing I would get to feel Striker again, my mind remembering the connection we had.

My father was silent as he came to stand beside me, both our eyes fixed on the Jaeger. Things had been tough between us but being here eased the tension. I suppose it gave me something else to think about, something to distract myself for the constant strain. Having Emily around definitely helped but being stuck in that house with him all day was starting to irritate me.

Emily's presence brought me out of my thoughts, her bright eyes temporarily washing away the anger.

"Are you ready?" Her gentle voice brought a smile to my face.

"I'm always ready." I chuckled back to her.

"Don't be so cocky." She laughed to herself, her lips forming the perfect smile. "Well good luck, see you on the other side." I pulled her close, arms wrapping around her, ignoring the eyes that bore into my back as my lips moved with her in perfect harmony. It felt like forever had passed when we parted, my eyes never leaving hers as she slowly moved away from me. Before she had a chance to leave I caught her arm, pulling her back for one more kiss.

"See you on the other side." I repeated her words, finally letting her go, the smile still wide on her face.

"You need to focus Chuck." My father's voice cut through as I watched her leaving, her hips swaying as she went to meet her co-pilot.

"I know old man." I responded a little harsher than intended.

"Don't call me that." His eyes were hard as were mine. "Come on then." I followed him but not without taking one last glance in the direction Emily had headed.

* * *

_Emily_

As we got into position, I felt the adrenaline coursing through my body, preparing me for the fight that was to come. I looked to James who had an eager grin plastered on his face.

"Well someone looks happy to see me." He joked, causing a small chuckle to escape my lips. I hadn't realised just how much I had missed my partner as he gave me a cheeky smile.

"Im always happy to see you James." His smile grew wider at that, a twinkle flashing in his eyes. "Someone seems excited."

"You bet, been wanting to get back into the action all this time. Now here's my chance." The twinkle flashed again.

"You know we could die out there." I chuckled back to him, amused by his reaction.

"All adds to the excitement Em, nothings fun without danger." Yeah he hadn't changed one bit.

"Sure James, just don't make me regret my decision of choosing you as a co-pilot." I teased, knowing full well there was nobody better for the job.

"Oh really? You know you love me, even more than Chucky boy I bet." He flashed a smile at me, winking in a very seductive way.

"Seriously?" I feigned a look of disgust, earning a fake wounded look from my best friend. "No but seriously now, I have missed you mate."

"I've missed you too." He gave me a genuine smile which I returned.

When our minds connected in the drift it was almost as if we had never left each other's side, like we had been connected all along. Our thoughts were one once again.

"Midnight Tempest are you ready for launch?" The voice of our commander broke through the intercom.

"Yeah we're all set, ready to get back to work." I replied, looking at James who gave a nod of approval.

"Good to hear guys. How are you doing Striker?" He spoke again.

"Ready." Herc's voice was the next to be heard. It felt good to be back here again.

Without further delay were dropped into place, ready to join the fight once again.

"So how was the retirement, short lived as it may have been?" James chuckled as we passed into the city.

"Was nice not being woken up in the middle of the night to go fight." I replied as I searched the monitor for signs of the creature they had called Mutavore.

"Yeah that was a bonus. On a random note, I never got the chance to wish you a happy birthday." Of course he wouldn't forget that.

"That's fine James; I didn't exactly want to celebrate at all." I rolled my eyes, briefly thinking back.

"It seems the Hansen's thought differently." He chuckled back, knowing what was in my head. "Well consider our victory today my present to you." He gleamed with enthusiasm.

"Someone's getting ahead of themselves." I teased before the familiar sight appeared on the screen. "No time to back out now." I winked to James before we headed in to the fight.

* * *

Mutavore was one tough son of a bitch, I had to give it that, but there was no way we could let it destroy the city that we called home. As we rounded the side of it to strike it I noticed somewhere along the way we had been separated from Striker which was nowhere to be seen. Before I could think about it any longer, I felt pain spread through my side as the Kaiju tore at the Jaeger.

It was toying with us, I could tell, it was circling us, jabbing at our sides while dodging the blows we threw at it. The pain grew stronger before I realised our connection was beginning to weaken, a crushing feeling pressing on my mind as I felt James slip from me.

"Come on James, stay with me, we need to hold on until Striker gets here." I shouted to him while trying to keep control of the Jaeger. It was almost as if the Kaiju knew what was going on inside as it reared up and sent us flying back, crashing into skyscraper.

"Crimson we're detecting a malfunction in the neural link, James' side is down. What the bloody hell is going on?" Davidson's voice boomed out as I desperately tried to stand, despite the crushing weight.

"James is losing himself, we've sustained damage to our pod and it's thrown James out." The Kaiju struck again, my head splitting internally. "I can't do this."

"We're coming Midnight." I heard Herc's voice in the background but I felt myself slipping.

What happened next was something that will haunt me forever; I felt suffocated as the edges of my visions turned dark, I could hear voices but I could barely make out what was said. A chill ran through me and a bright light shone down upon me before my body turned cold. It felt like death; the cold entered my mind and I felt a part of my was ripped away. No not a part of me, a part of my mind, the other consciousness inside of my head. I was alone in the dark, trapped and suffocating, unable to escape my fate. I was dying I knew, the abyss was claiming me as its victim.

"_You can't go."_ A voice echoed through my mind, whose voice I could not tell. I wanted to though, I wanted to drift to a place with no pain, no fear, no suffering. I wanted to go but something or someone wouldn't let me. _"Stand up."_ It willed to me and I felt myself escaping the darkness.

The pain hit me first, striking into my very core, ripping me apart from the inside. But pain was good, pain was real. My vision cleared to see a giant creature standing above me, ripping part of the Jaeger away from me. Though it had seemed like forever to me, only seconds had passed since James's life was taken from me.

"_Stand up!"_ The voice commanded as I tried to overcome the pain and the pressure, bringing the Jaeger up once again. It was short lived as the Kaiju struck once more, crushing me to the ground.

"Emily, what the bloody hell happened? James' side is down." Davidson spoke again.

Somehow I managed to get out "Loccent, the Kaiju tore into us, James is gone." Amongst the building pressure inside my head as I fought against the darkness.

"Just hold on Emily, we're coming." I heard Chuck's voice, giving me a small comfort.

I lifted my arm above my head, defending myself as well as I could as the Kaiju brought its force down on me, watching me struggle to live. My Jaeger fell to its knees once again but somehow I managed to summon all my strength to stand it up again, miraculously managing to land a perfectly timed blow as the fist connected with the mouth of the Kaiju.

"Come on you bastard!" With renewed strength I shouted aloud, pushing myself to the very edge.

"We're nearly there, I can see you!" Herc shouted as I saw Striker in the distance heading my way. I punched forwards but the Kaiju caught the lazy blow and sent its tail through the opened side of the Jaeger missing me by a few centimetres. My vision started to black around the edges again as I felt myself slipping into the dark.

"Emily, hang on, we're coming for you!" The Australian voice of Chuck Hansen filled my head and images of him flashed in my mind as I felt myself becoming numb. I shook my head, desperate to live.

"_You can do this."_ I heard the voice echoing through my mind once more, giving me a final wave of strength to carry on.

With a last push, I drew all my anger, pain, and loss, thinking back to the day I lost my parents and thinking about James. I filled my heart and mind with all the emotions and blazed one last time with a fire much stronger than the Kaiju in my eyes. With the force I had mustered, I struck the Kaiju, my arm ripping through the flesh. It cried out and I felt my legs fall beneath me as it turned around and sent a damaging blow. I was close to death I could tell, the pain becoming unbearable as I felt blood trickling down my face.

Before it could finish me off, I saw the familiar sight of my saviour, Striker Eureka. The screams of the Kaiju filled the air as I slipped into darkness. James was gone, it finally hit me, and it seemed I was soon to join him.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I own nothing but original characters.

Am feeling really inspired to write at the moment, even with final exams happening, so am back with a new chapter. Hope you all enjoy this one, thanks to everyone who has stuck with the story, means a lot that you're reading this.

Enjoy ;)

* * *

_Emily_

I found myself back inside Midnight, James stood beside me, his characteristic smile as wide as ever. He was talking to me but I couldn't hear his words. He didn't seem to notice as he continued rambling about something that made him laugh.

Out of nowhere the front of the Jaeger disappeared to reveal a monster standing several feet above us, an acidic substance dripping from its mouth, burning the ground around us. Its contorted face looked down on us; it was almost laughing at me, taunting me as its bulbous eyes were fixed on me.

Its purple limbs reached out and tore at the Jaeger, ripping James out and I felt the darkness crushing on me. I then realised I was drowning in darkness, cold filled my lungs, preventing me from breathing. I tried to cry out for help but nothing came out as I felt my body become too heavy to move.

Then I heard James's voice, telling me to just let go and join him in the darkness. Part of me wanted to end it right there but I struggled against the black. His face appeared to me, the smile still etched on his face. I tried to scream as it melted away, revealing the monster once more as it began to claw at my face, ripping into my body, tearing me apart slowly and painfully.

I jolted awake, my face dripping with sweat, my heart pumping through my chest as if it was trying to escape. The nightmares plagued me every night; unrelenting horror faced me every time I closed my eyes. It was two weeks since Mutavore attacked, two weeks since my life was changed forever, two weeks since I lost my best friend. Just thinking about him nearly had me on the floor, a broken mess of a person.

Chuck had tried to be there for me but I could feel myself withdrawing further inside myself, keeping him at arm's length at all times. It wasn't by choice, it was just my natural reaction to loss, I had too much experience of that. In the last few days he had taken to sleeping in his old room, unable to watch my despair as I constantly woke, screaming in pain but unwilling to let him help.

I looked over at the clock to see it was 6:30 in the morning; I knew I couldn't go back to sleep, I couldn't face the dreams again. I slowly crept out of bed, stripping out of my sodden clothes and putting on fresh ones. I looked in the mirror and was horrified at what I saw staring back at me.

Her face was pale, drawn out with dark circles surrounding dull blue eyes. She looked tired, sadness overwhelmed her features, making her look exhausted and ailing. I couldn't believe that girl was me. I tied my hair into a loose ponytail, wiping the sweat from my neck as I headed out the metal door.

I wasn't sure where I was heading, my feet moved without effort as I let my body guide me to wherever it wanted. It took me a second to realise where I was; standing before me was hulk of black metal, half seeming to be missing and the other half was covered in scratches. Looking at the fallen Jaeger, tears threatened to fall as sorrow filled my heart. Losing this Jaeger would be like giving up a part of myself, it was the only thing I had left of my father. They weren't sure if they could save her after all the damage she was dealt.

I heard footsteps behind me before the thick Australian accent followed. "Brought you a coffee." Herc spoke, coming to sit beside me, handing me the steaming cup. "I saw you come out here." My eyes welled up so I kept my eyes to the ground, unwilling to let him see. I felt his hand on my shoulder, his presence drawing my head up to look at him.

"Thanks." I replied weakly, voice trembling.

"She was so beautiful. It's a real shame to see her like this." He spoke, eyes turning to the ruined Jaeger.

"She was all I had left of my father, all I have left of the life before the Kaiju, all I have left of the little girl who wanted to go to the park and play on swings, grow up and find a nice man to marry. The innocent girl who dreamed of the adventures life would bring. That life is gone now and that Jaeger was all I had of it." I found myself saying, tears rolling down my cheek. "When she's gone that part will be lost forever."

Herc's arm wrapped around me as I started to cry into his shoulder, no longer concerned with keeping the emotions to myself. This was probably the first time anyone had seen me cry, something I swore I would never let happen.

"You know, I lost my wife when this all started." Herc began to speak. "When she died I sort of lost myself and it was Chuck who suffered. The only thing I have left of her is my son and im losing him." I looked up to see tears beginning to form in his eyes.

"It wasn't your fault Herc." I offered, my tears drying as he opened up. "You saved him, he might not show it but I know he loves you. He's just looking for someone to blame." I took a sip of the hot coffee as we sat in silence, both feeling a small weight was lifted.

"Im lucky to have met you Emily, Chuck's lucky." He gave me a small smile which I returned. "Have you heard? Their still focussing all efforts on the Wall so the remaining Jaegers are being taken to Hong Kong while the Wall is being completed." My smile dropped at that. How could they still think the Wall was a good idea?

"Any idea when we're being called over?" I asked, forgetting about my nightmares for a moment.

"Soon is all I know. Pentecost managed to convince the powers that be that it was still worth keeping a few Jaegers active but our time is limited." He replied.

"Damn." Was all I could say.

* * *

Pacing around my room, I couldn't stop thinking about what Herc had said. They were recalling all the Jaegers to Hong Kong, one last attempt to keep the Kaiju at bay. If my Jaeger wasn't beyond repair, there was still a chance I could pilot again.

Could I do it again though? Could I go back inside and relive the events that tore me apart? Even if they could find someone who was drift compatible with me, could I go back inside another person's head again? Those questions haunted me; since the Kaiju took my parents from me all I wanted to do was fight back, to avenge my family and take back a small piece of me every time I killed one. Now I was faced with a choice: to relive the horrors and continue my life's goal or to give in to the fear and watch as Chuck goes out there without me. No, the choice was made long ago. I was meant for a Jaeger.

* * *

_Chuck_

"You want to do what?!" I all but screamed as Emily told me her plans.

"I've spoken to Marshall Pentecost, they've got an excellent team over there and my Jaeger should be back to almost perfect in no time at all. I have to do this Chuck, I can't let my family down, I can't let James down." Her eyes pleaded with me but I shook my head, unwilling to believe she was ready to risk her life once again.

"You're not ready. You almost died out there, you lost control and James died! How can you just go back to it like nothing happened?" It came out harsher than intended, a hurt look in her eyes.

"You're making it sound like he died because of me! I need to get back out there, I can't keep living with the memories haunting me, I have to do something." She cried out.

"I didn't mean it like that. I get it, but what happens if the memories overload you out there and someone else gets killed because of it. James wouldn't want that." Her eyes turned hard.

"Don't tell me what he would want. I knew him better than anyone else and he'd want me to be out there, doing what I do best, not moping around here while you get all the glory." She spat at me.

"I can't let you do this." I replied firmly, I nearly lost her once, I couldn't go through that again.

"You…what? Can't let me do this? I wasn't asking your permission." She looked at me in disbelief, shocked and hurt by my words.

"I didn't mean…" I tried but she cut me off.

"No, I get it, I know exactly what you're saying. If you really feel like that then we're done." She spoke, walking away before I had a chance to reply, left standing in the corridor, crushed by what had just happened.

I know I should have gone after her, explained how it was only because she meant so much to me that I couldn't risk her life, that I needed her so much that I couldn't lose her but I stayed where I stood, realising that everything we had was gone. If she was going to risk her life I couldn't be there to see her die, I had to cut myself off from it.


End file.
